Stray Voltage
by peppermint quartz
Summary: Temari is abducted days before her longawaited wedding. Shikamaru leads a team comprising Chouji, Gaara, Hinata and Kankurou. Temari is ready to kick her abductor's ass. When will Shikamaru and Temari get married?
1. Without a Trace

A/N: a ShikaTema centric fic, with GaaraHina in background. Hopefully won't be too long an epic, since I'm writing another at the moment (_Return, _Bleach fandom), but you never know.

Apologies for shameless self-promotion :)

Disclaimer: NARUTO is not my story. This one here is my story, with borrowed characters.

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------------Temari------------

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It was only because of Yoshino's impatience that we were getting hitched. For real. Next week.

Yeah, yeah, Nara Shikamaru proposed and all, but what with one thing and another, we didn't exactly have the time to plan seating charts and bridal showers, y'know? I had my genin team to take care of, and he was now in ANBU (though I wish he'd be out of that soon, I don't enjoy the idea of him risking his neck) as key tactician.

And yes, we had been engaged for five years.

Come on, first with Akatsuki, with that creepy Orochimaru/Kabuto hybrid as a side dish, then some weirdo with a llama (don't ask) adds on to the confusion... life as shinobi made wedding planning very hard. Even harder when we belonged to different villages.

"Kankurou, we're off. You make sure you send me the package as soon as it arrives okay?"

The puppet user nodded. "Yeah sis, it's not like we haven't done this three hundred times already."

"Whatever. Bye now."

------------------------

I had three adorable teenage genin. Students: love them or hate them, you can't hit them over the head with an iron fan. Right now, I was relaxing while dinner was being cooked. The clouds drifted lazily overhead, and I warmed to think of my fiancé.

Yuuta sucked on his fingers after being scalded again by the pot. "Temari-sensei, why can't Nagisa do this? She's the girl after all."

"Like a guy's too good to cook?" Nagisa asked, tossing her mid-length brown hair over her shoulder. I grinned. She had obviously picked up something good from me. "Besides, I caught all the fish for tonight."

"I gutted them," Haruki put in, afraid he'd be asked to cook instead.

I stretched. "That you did, Haruki. Very well too." The boy, a slightly built eleven-year-old, needed reassurance on his worth. He had very fine skills with a blade; I was thinking of recommending him to the Hatake swordsmanship training school after the kid makes chuunin. That was assuming Hatake Kakashi had time to train them personally, even now that Naruto was Hokage.

"You're all ganging up on me. Even you, sensei!" Yuuta mock-sulked. The fish stew smelt really good though.

I grinned lazily at the lanky, blond kid. "You're the fire manipulator around here, kiddo. Think of this as further training."

We dived into the fish stew not long after. Yuuta certainly knew his cookery. Despite his whining, the kid was capable. If it wasn't for his almost-constant bickering and unbreakable bond with Nagisa, the kid might make chuunin a lot earlier than his teammates.

"Smells great," drawled a familiar voice.

I got to my feet in an instant, my fan in my grip. "Nagisa, Yuuta, Haruki, behind me. 'Ban' formation. Now!"

A lean shadow detached itself from the darkness. "Temari of Sunagakure. It's been some time."

"Who the hell are you?" My fan extended. I had to protect the kids. This was only their third mission. They must be able to return to Gaara: my priorities realigned immediately.

"I'm hurt. It's Shikio. Don't you recognize me?"

My fan did not lower. "You left the village months ago. I've a bad memory. How am I supposed to recall what you looked like?"

"Considering our history," Shikio said smoothly, "I'd've thought you would at least think fondly of me. Or at least send me an invite to your upcoming wedding."

I narrowed my eyes. "We don't have a history, Shikio. And I'm glad you remember that I'm getting married. No-" he was taking two steps forward "-stay back."

"I don't think so." Another step.

I steadied my breath. And in seconds whipped up a tornado.

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------------Shikamaru------------

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"Who did it?"

I knew I was gripping the arms of the chair very, very tightly. Like I cared about furniture.

Four days to the wedding and the bride was _lost_? How could anyone lose a bride?

Gaara regarded me with his pale eyes. "She was on a mission with her genin team. They said a man calling himself Shikio appeared, Temari fought, and then, when they opened their eyes, Temari was gone."

_Shikio. _I racked my memory. The name rang a bell. "Shikio, the stalker? The one from ANBU that left Suna after she rejected him eight months ago?"

"From the description and their recounts, yes. The stalker."

I stood, agitated. "He was mental! He tracked her from Suna to Konoha every time we met up, and he tried to poison me on-" I frowned "- gods know how many occasions!"

"He was on our hit list, but as he was former ANBU he managed to injure or kill most of our agents. Except for her," Gaara nodded at the door. There was pink tinge in his face as Hinata walked in, bearing a tray of drinks and document.

"Shikamaru-kun," Hinata smiled as she greeted me. She was no longer as shy as she was, blossoming under the iron care of Gaara. The kazekage squeezed her fingers as he left the office for the council meeting. "I was the last to see Shikio. Unfortunately the man severely injured my teammates and we had to return before backup could arrive."

"I understand." I did, but the sour feeling expanded in my stomach. Three days had passed already. Who knew what had happened?

"He has a base, about seventy-eight klicks from the West Ridge." She spread a map out on the kazekage's table, absentmindedly moving Gaara's mug to another ledge. "And I know he has stayed here for the past month. Unfortunately, we have never been able to locate the actual exit."

"Disguised?"

"Too many tunnels. Here, here, and here-" she marked the points on a photograph - "are those we have witnessed him using. But he gives us the slip every time. Inside the tunnels are booby traps; a staged rockfall killed three of our best trackers and maimed one for life. My byakugan doesn't work either. He's placed jutsu barriers across different tunnels."

I heard the sorrow and fury in her calm tone. She continued, "Gaara and I were waiting for you to arrive. We go along tonight when you make your move." She looked at me, her resolve clear. "How do you think we should do this?"

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-----------Temari-------------

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I woke, bound and gagged, lying on a camp bed. The cloth in my mouth tasted so foul I had to force myself not to throw up; if I did I would choke on my own vomit.

"Awake at last."

Shikio.

Bastard. How the hell did he dodge Hinata and the other ANBU trackers? They had been hunting him for months!

Shikio pulled my bangs away from my face. "You've been out for three days. I had to resist touching your beautiful sleeping form... I had to cut myself to do so, or else I would have violated you." He pulled the gag from my mouth and I heaved a sigh. He stroked my cheek. "I should get you a drink, you're probably dehydrated."

As I sipped I considered my options. I didn't know where I was, beyond 'dark' and 'cavern', I had no idea how much chakra I had, and my fan was not in sight. Oh, and I was bound. He took the cup and straw away.

_The only man who has permission to engage in bondage fun with me is Nara Shikamaru_. I fumed inwardly, testing the bonds. _You are so very, very dead._

"It's no use, you know," said Shikio calmly. He loosened his silver hair and re-tied it. "They're made of chakra-absorbing rope. I didn't want you to leave."

There was one thing I learned from Nara. I said nothing and closed my eyes.

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------------Shikamaru------------

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As I suspected Kankurou was eager to join us too. "Five jounin against one ex-ANBU. Piece of cake."

"He took down four excellent shinobi," said Gaara reprovingly. "We must not be complacent."

"Aye aye, kage-sama," smirked Kankurou. He nudged his future sister-in-law. "Where to next?"

I took the initiative. This was my wife-to-be we were saving, after all. "West Ridge first, then I'll outline the plan."

I knew I would have trouble remaining calm and objective. But this was dissimilar to the time Asuma was killed. Then, all I wanted was vengeance. And Hidan's face was still rotting beneath the ton of mud I dumped on it.

Now I prayed to any god who would listen that Temari would be safe.

"She'll be fine," Chouji murmured as we dashed along the road to the Ridge. He had come to Suna to help me with any last minute stuff, him being my best man and all. Now it was a great big fat favor I was asking of him, and I was glad he was by my side.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, grateful for his simple reassurance. The bag of hard rubber balls thumped against my back. I shifted slightly; they were interfering with my stride.

"You sure they're enough?" Kankurou asked. I could see his concern beneath the makeup.

"I take any more of their toys your twins would unleash their puppets on me. I couldn't handle that."

He took my quip at face value and grinned. "'Course you can't. We puppeteers are deadly fighters."

"We're almost there." Gaara's voice was still impassive. Briefly I pondered how many attacks I could throw at him before I got killed – in case Temari chose to ask brother dearest to intervene in our family quarrels. Then I smiled grimly.

I'd give my right arm to quarrel with her right now. Even if I get squashed by the Desert Coffin later.


	2. I don't have a Plan

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------------Shikamaru------------

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I looked up the sheer cliff. It looked forbidding.

"What is it with evil people and dark, dank spaces?" Kankurou asked aloud.

"I've known you to be cooped up in your little workshop for days, Kankurou, so you might want to retract that remark." I strode back to Hinata. "The one on the southeastern face: that's the most accessible entrance?"

"That's the one we used." Hinata said. Gaara stood a few feet away, his turquoise eyes scanning the cliff face. He then sent his 'third eye' up to the various entrances.

I sat down to think.

Three days. We were not even sure if they were here. When we stopped at the last known campsite, the tracks were worn and faint. Not even Kiba with his dog's nose could track a trail that faint. Chouji sat beside me, his hands digging into the chips. The rustle of fried potato and plastic calmed my thoughts down.

I tried to think like Shikio, but realized it was impossible. How do you think like a stalker?

Obsession about her every move, obsession about her every thought... I scrunched up my eyes, trying to focus.

He was here. This was where he felt safe, since no one else had been able to penetrate beyond the entrances. And since he hadn't killed Temari – I felt a chill at the thought but forced it away – she was probably restrained and kept under his watch, somewhere in the heart of the mountain.

Gaara couldn't bring the mountain down, since his sister was somewhere in it. She'd be crushed under the weight of sand. Hinata's byakugan was ineffective against jutsu barriers.

That meant we had to take the harder way.

"We'll go in single file, using the same entrance," I said, diagramming on the sandy soil with a kunai.

Gaara heard me giving instructions and returned to the cluster. Hinata smiled up at him.

"What formation shall we take?" Gaara asked as he sat down next to Hinata. Absently she placed her hand in his.

Sometimes I would expect them to embrace and kiss in greeting, they so obviously adored each other. But they were always restrained in showing their affections. Her simple touch on his arm, his brushing her hair from her face. A shared smile.

I was glad the two of them had worked out. When Hinata and Shino broke up she almost sank into depression, but it had been a mutual decision not to continue their relationship. Shino had been caring and loving, but he was always around – Hinata had confided in Temari that she felt suffocated by Shino's expectations and presence. Shino also had difficulty articulating his emotions, which Hinata found to be increasingly alienating for them both.

Gaara, in the short spans of time I spent with him alone, was aloof but not emotionally closed off, and he had a disarming trait of lighting up when he spoke of Hinata. I had been the main tactician in his wooing of the ex-Hyuuga heiress, with Temari giving me full support.

I drew five circles in the sand, then little arrows radiating to the members of our team. "Point: Hinata. You can scan the tunnels before we choose our paths, unless there are jutsu barriers."

She nodded.

"Second would be Chouji. Muscle power." He smiled cheerily. "Back up Hinata in case of attacks. If you don't, Gaara will kill us both, so be careful okay?"

"I won't kill," said Gaara. He added matter-of-factly, "I'll settle for maiming."

I raised an eyebrow. Gaara's deadpan expression suited his jokes, but even so it was not the time. "I'll take the middle, ready for movement to the front or to the rear. The good thing is it'll be dark inside, my shadows have wide range of movement."

"Kankurou," I said, pointing at him, "you're a mid- to long-range type, so you'll be right behind me. In case of attacks, we'll make space for your puppets."

"Not to worry, brother-in-law," Kankurou smirked. "I brought some special ones. Small and deadly."

"What kind?"

"Rats and cats."

I mulled over the idea of wooden rats and cats running wild in the tunnels. Then I looked at the kazekage. "Gaara, the rear. Any sudden attack from behind, your shield can protect how many of us?"

"All." There was no hesitation in his answer.

"Good. You're second-in-command, in case I get separated from the team. Questions?"

"What's the main objective? Capture or kill?" Chouji raised his finger.

I bit my lip. "Neither. Finding Temari is the first priority." Then I smiled, just a little. "And I've a feeling she might want to do the honors of returning a traitor to the village in as many parts as possible."

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------------Temari------------

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I woke up to see a guttering candle on the table. My shoulders were sore, as were my knees and ankles. I hated being tied up.

"Good evening, sleepy head. You dozed off." Shikio came to assist me into a sitting position.

I breathed out evenly. "It's too dark."

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't afford too many candles here." He swept my disheveled hair behind my ears. Sometime during my nap he had unbound my hair. "I've just finished preparing dinner. You must be hungry."

"I am." He helped me to a sitting position. I tried to rotate my stiff shoulder, but found it hurt beyond belief. "Shikio, untie my hands. I can't eat this way."

"No. You'll just try to escape."

I rolled my eyes. "Shikio, look around you. I have no idea where the exits are, or where the hell I am. I'm asking you to untie my hands, not my feet. And I bet you've drugged the food and water so I can't utilize my strength. What's your worry?"

He narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out my non-existent strategy. All I wanted at the moment was the free use of my hands, and a proper stretch. My whole body ached with tension.

Of course, I was thinking of escape. I just hadn't thought of how, yet. And hopefully the jibe about the food being drugged would give him pause about drugging my food.

Shikio was a poison user, I remembered. The past few months he had tried to poison Nara at least eight times, but thankfully my genius lazybones escaped, once by eating instant ramen with the Hokage in his office.

My god that was the trial of a lifetime.

Shikio seemed to see the sense of my statements and released the bonds on my wrists. Before I could jerk my hands away he was rubbing my arms and wrists to get some feeling into them. I reined my disgust in: he had clammy hands.

"Thanks," I muttered when he brought the tray of food over. In the candlelight the broth looked threatening. "What is this?"

"You haven't eaten for the past three days," Shikio said, almost timidly. "I doubt your stomach can handle solid food right now."

"And whose fault is that?" I snapped. Gods, my arm was so sore I couldn't even lift the spoon without my hand shaking. The rogue shinobi took the spoon from me and began to feed me. Another humiliation.

I hated being helpless.

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------------Shikamaru------------

**------------------------**

When Kankurou said dark and dank, he understated everything.

I wasn't even sure if I had a shadow to work with. Thank goodness for flashlights – which I was not using at the moment. All of us trusted Hinata, and she was leading us with a length of rope.

The tunnel roof stood at least three feet above our heads, so we didn't have to bend over. However the ground was slick and I could hear soft plopping. If there was light, probably I'd see stalactites and stalagmites.

"Which is the one that forms on the ground?" Kankurou whispered behind me. "The limestone pillars."

"Stalagmites. It has a 'g' for ground," I hissed.

"Why are we whispering?" Chouji asked. "No one else is around."

"I don't know. It suits the mood, I guess."

_'Why do you call me Nara, Temari?'_

_'I don't know. Suits the mood, I guess.'_

_'What mood would that be?'_

_'Kind of like now, I guess.'_

I forced myself to focus on the present. Troublesome woman. If not for her, I would be in my nice, warm bed, enjoying a good dinner on a tray, maybe playing a round of shogi with Gaara – a really good opponent, ranking just below my dad, Asuma and Kakashi-sensei – and then...

Who was I kidding? If I was in my bed I'd be curling up with her in my arms.

"This is the rockfall." Hinata stopped walking. "It blindsided us; we didn't have time to run."

I made my way forward cautiously and ran my flashlight's beam over the heap of stones. Then I ran the light over the ceiling and the tunnel.

"Gaara, can you move this?"

"Not without crushing all of us under a ton of sand." He folded his arms and tilted his head. He was calculating, I recognized; each of us have our own style of planning in our heads. I turned to my best man.

"Chouji?"

He walked about the heap and found a small opening. He slipped his hand in and, after a moment's concentration, forced the opening larger. With his enlarged palm over our heads, Kankurou, Gaara and I moved forward to remove the stones. Chouji took one step more and did the same with his other hand. "Just a little more, Chouji," Hinata encouraged as she focused her eyes on the opposite wall.

We broke through, Chouji's hands and arms now bearing the weight of the rockfall. He had to struggle across, but somehow managed not trapping himself. I grinned with relief.

It would have been hard to even venture into the tunnels without him.

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------------Temari------------

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Shikio had just fed me my fourth mouthful when something wailed.

_Rescuers._

"Intruders," he snarled under his breath. "Temari, your hands should be fine now. I'll chase them away and we can resume our tete-a-tete."

_Like hell we are._ "Sure."

He dashed out of a hidden opening. I smiled to myself and quickly removed the bonds on my legs, knotting them differently just in case he returned immediately. I couldn't stand at all; pins and needles prickled over both my lower extremities and I stifled my involuntary gasp.

"I'm back," he announced.

_Damn._

"You haven't removed your bonds? I'm surprised." Shikio tugged at the ropes. I sniggered inwardly; Shikamaru and I had learned a lot about tying knots that looked and felt tight, but were easy to get out of.

No prizes for guessing the reason for our, uh, interest.

"You might want to bathe afterwards," Shikio interrupted my private musings. "Over there is a small standing pool; the stream feeds into and empties out of it continuously."

"It's open for your viewing pleasure too," I said as pleasantly as I could manage. "Thanks for the offer, but no thanks."

He suddenly thrust his face in front of mine. "If I have to forcibly strip you of your clothes I will do so. You will eat, and then you will bathe, and then you will crap and pee in the special toilet I installed outside, and then we'll fuck until you scream."

I remained silent. He was as erratic as I remembered him. On his good days he was polite and tender; when he first exploded in rage I actually felt fear. But that was only for a while – the fear passed and only revulsion remained.

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------------Shikamaru------------

**------------------------**

"Shikamaru," Chouji said as we halted at a T-junction.

"Yeah."

"What does Shikio look like?"

I then recalled that Chouji hadn't met the rogue shinobi yet, and all of us had blatantly assumed we all knew the bastard on sight. "He's about my height, probably half an inch taller. Silver-haired, usually tied in a low ponytail. Can be considered handsome – reminds me of Sai, actually – and has a thin scar below his right eye. He's a poison user though, so be careful of traps and what-not."

"Also, he swings between extremes." Kankurou added. Gaara and Hinata were debating which side to go. Since Hinata was the one who could see both ends and Gaara had the Third Eye ability, I let them take the lead on this. Kankurou elaborated, "Usually he's quite sane. And during those times he's very courteous and kind of... gentlemanly."

"And during the other times?"

"He's a cruel bastard who kills for the fun of it," I supplied. "He added thallium to my dinner once. If I hadn't seen a fly fly across it and die immediately, Temari would be kicking my corpse by now. Consider him a psychopath."

"Psychopathic schizphrenic handsome silver-haired guy, about yay tall with a scar below his right eye. Got it."

I walked up to the couple. "What's the verdict?"

"The left leads to a shielded room, the right to another junction." Hinata pointed in each direction. I chewed on my lower lip. Gaara waited quietly.

I decided to seek his opinion. Right now I was not in any position to think clearly. "Split or all?"

"Split. Kankurou can try the shielded room-"

"- I'm not going without backup-"

"and we can split again at the next junction."

Chouji paused. "I'll go with Kankurou. If anything happens, one of us can still pass a message to you guys."

"You sure?" I asked sotto voce.

"Find her." Chouji's reply was simple and I smiled. I could trust him to return with a big grin and a bigger appetite.


	3. Different Paths

A/N: I found it necessary to add in other POVs as well, but I hope it won't be too confusing. I won't add more than what appears in this chapter!

Definitely Shikamaru and Temari will still provide the main POVs, but they can't be everywhere at once.

Please read and review, thanks :)

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------------Temari------------

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I considered my options.

_One, I do as he says and he rapes me. Definitely out._

_Two, I grab whatever chance to escape. Assuming I can find my way out of the caverns._

Simple plans – and incredibly stupid. I forced myself to relax. I didn't have much choice here: my limbs were about as strong as uncooked noodles, so if he really chose brute force I'd be dead in two heartbeats. On the other hand, he was under the impression that my legs were still bound. So there might be an element of surprise.

Since these were chakra-absorbing rope, I merely had to ensure that I do not use chakra. Again, simple and stupid.

"Good girl," Shikio praised as I swallowed the last mouthful. He offered me a napkin and I dabbed at my lips. He caressed my cheek and I twisted away from his touch.

I did not miss the shadow of anger in his eyes.

"Strip. And bathe. Then you can use the necessary before I make love to you."

"You can't make love to me, Shikio," I said, looking into his gray-green eyes, now black in the candlelight. "You can't make love to someone who doesn't love you."

"You'll be saying something different later," he hissed as he bent over me.

I bared my teeth. "Only _he_ can make love to me, Shikio. You're just a pathetic shmuck who can't accept he's been outclassed. In every. Single. Way."

_Okay, option three. I piss him off so much he forgets about the bath and try to kill me. Mortal combat, that I can deal with._

_Door number three it is._

_Time to press on._

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------------Shikamaru------------

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"No, wait." I stopped everyone. "If Chouji and Kankurou goes, they can't see inside the room. Gaara and I, who are the team leaders, will be grouped together. This is in error."

"Make up your mind, brother," Kankurou drawled.

I shushed him and forced myself to divorce my emotions from the job. This was supposed to be easy, since I was ANBU too, but somehow I had never figured Temari needing rescue. She was the one rushing to save my ass, usually.

"Gaara, you and Kankurou have worked together before. You two go to the sealed room. Hinata, lead me and Chouji on. Since we've worked together on some Konoha cases, we operate better as a sub-team." I took a breath. This was the right decision. "Kankurou, Gaara, if in twenty minutes we don't hear from either of you, I will assume there is another pathway from that sealed room. If it turns out that we three are stuck in a dead end, I will double back and try your path."

"If you hear from us in ten minutes – don't bother doubling back." Gaara took the lead. I handed Kankurou a handful of rubber balls.

He tucked them into his shirt. "One ball should tell us all we need to know about the room, huh."

"Yeah. Make sure you fling them hard enough, and bounce them off the walls and ceilings too."

"Got it."

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------------Temari------------

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I could feel the sting of the slap on my cheek. He hauled me to my feet and started shaking me violently.

"What does it TAKE TO MAKE YOU HAPPY?!" he screamed. I staggered away, noting that the ropes had slipped to my ankles.

_Good._

"I brought you everything. I sent you flowers, dresses. I bought you a house, even! You ignored everything I did for you, for that Konoha tactician. Why, Temari?" Shikio was practically begging. "I tried to make you see sense. I read more, I went to learn about strategies, I joined ANBU for you. And don't tell me you don't remember the time we went on our first mission together. We shared so much... I treasured every moment I had with you, Temari. From the enemies' major parts down to the littlest blade of grass that your wind blade sheared into scrap, I kept as mementos. And you treat me like dirt!"

"Listen to yourself," I said, voicing my disdain as plainly as I could. "We had ONE mission together, my last ANBU mission. And which sane person keeps such mementos?"

"What has the Konoha shinobi done for you?"

I laughed. "You can't begin to compare yourself with him. There is no scale of reference large enough."

"SHUT UP!" Shikio raised his palm to slap me again. I angled my face to his prepared blow.

It didn't come.

_Crap. One more good slap and I'd be out the door by now._

Shikio suddenly pressed his mouth on mine, his hands scrabbling at my clothes. I shoved him as hard as I could – and believe me, carting my fan around for years have given me arm muscles you wouldn't believe – and tore off the bindings on my ankles.

I might be weak from lack of food and drink, but I would not be touched by anyone else.

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------------Shikamaru------------

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Hinata paused at the junction.

"Left, an apparent dead end fifteen meters on. Straight path, a door set into the rock, but framed by some seals."

I calculated the odds. "Hinata, you and Chouji take the straight path. I'll try for the dead end."

"Be careful, you." Chouji's concern was apparent as I passed him half of the rubber balls I had in my pack.

I lifted a brow. "I don't plan to die without telling the troublesome woman off first, Chouji. See ya."

"Sh-shouldn't we wait for Gaara and Kankurou?"

I paused. "Hinata, my wife-to-be is in the hands of a demented stalker. I don't think I will wait." I slashed on the limestone walls with a kunai, marked it with my initials, and did the same for Hinata and Chouji. "There. This would help them. If they do come by here."

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------------Kankurou------------

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I hurled a rubber ball straight into the wall while holding my breath. The little orb bounced off the different surfaces, and both of us ducked behind the sand shield as thousands of needles spurted erratically from hidden spots.

"Presenting the latest fad in entertainment," I quipped. "Death to Superballs."

"I don't think there are more traps in that room," my brother said, completely ignoring my verbal brilliance. Ah well. I had my lovely wife Tomoe to admire me and cut me down to size, as needed.

Gaara moved forward, unafraid. I half-smiled. He always had the air of being separate: separate from the common populace, separate from the events around him, separate from _living_. It was good that Hinata had chosen, however coincidentally, Gaara's own hideout when she needed time alone, away from... what was her ex's name? Now that would bug me all day...

"Kankurou." I jerked my mind back to the here and now. Gaara was peering at a metal door. "Can you get this open? It's set completely into the rock."

I ran my hands over it. "Sealed?"

"I can't find any openings."

Gaara stepped back so I could do my work. He knew who was more mechanically inclined in the family. I pulled out a small puppet, my own design: a masterpiece, even if I do say so myself. Tracing over the edges, I tried to locate the smallest break between metal and rock.

Found it.

Ugh. The limestone was _wet._ The puppet twitched to life as I pulled chakra strings from its tiny joints.

"What's it do?" Gaara was interested. He bent low to examine it.

"It's a slug," I said. "Completely made out of specially treated gel, yet with the delicacy of operating like Karasu. It can – and will – ooze through most openings and then -" I grunted with the effort of manipulating the small puppet "- open doors or decode anything, with the help of this. Attach it to my right hand's middle finger, will ya?"

Soon my tiny monitor flickered into life. There was a lock on the door on the other side. I grinned.

"Score."

Gaara nodded his approval when the puppet slug moved over the combination keypad. I pondered over which combination to enter, when Gaara said, "Her birthday."

"You sure? I don't want needlepalooza again."

"He's obsessed with her. It will be her birthday."

I sighed. It made sense. I made to key it in, then paused.

"Uh, Gaara? When is Temari's birthday?"

------------------------

------------Shikamaru------------

------------------------

I knew they would worry about me, but I preferred to work alone these days.

Call it a side effect of working in ANBU.

There it was. Dead end, like Hinata said.

I moved right up to the wall, then turned and caught a kunai in my hands. It had fired at me from behind. I glanced about me quickly, then ducked and rolled.

Kunai and shuriken thudded into the space I had been a second ago.

"That was close," I muttered under my breath. Shikio was a poisons expert, I recalled; probably most of these were coated with some deadly potion.

I pulled on my special gloves and collected the gift of throwing blades now stuck in the walls and floor and – hello, overkill? – ceiling.

_If he had gone to the trouble of setting up a trap here..._

I prodded the wall in sections, not missing any bit of slimy wet rock.

_There._

I pulled a thin bobby pin from my pouch – thank you, Temari – and began picking at the tiny, tiny lock.

------------------------

------------Chouji------------

------------------------

"Chouji-kun."

I looked at the diminutive kunoichi. "Yes?"

"... how is Shino?"

_Oh yes. They haven't met with each other since they broke up a year ago._ I scratched the back of my neck, unsure of what to say.

"He's, uh... he's fine." That was true enough. "He's taken on a genin team after you two... after what happened. They'll be headed to Suna for the next chuunin exams."

"Oh? That's great." She stopped and flung an arm out to stop me. "Genjutsu. It's a thin rock bridge over a wide and deep pit. Lined with spikes."

I looked at the long, wide, well-lit corridor in front of me. "Good catch, Hinata." I closed my eyes and formed the hand seals to undo the illusion.

About eighty paces earlier the limestone caverns had turned into usual rock corridors. Torches lined the walls and, every ten feet either Hinata or I would score the walls at eye-level for the other three, in case they needed to find us.

Now, as I opened my eyes again, I realized the two of us were probably on the right path.

There was no way anyone would build a pit _that _deep, with spikes _that _sharp, and a bridge _that _narrow, if it was not the right path.

Hinata hesitated as she scanned the surrounds for traps. I didn't bother tossing the rubber balls: what was the point? I could see the spike-pit from where we stood. Only the points glinted greenly in the light of the torches.

_Poisoned._

I touched the path with the tip of my right foot. The builder might have a sharp sense of humor, but it felt sturdy enough. I put more weight on my foot, and stepped onto the bridge.

"Not a problem, Hinata. We'll just -" I rushed at her and the two of us rolled back to the relative safety of the corridor.

Tongues of flame roared sporadically along the length of the bridge.

"We'll just barbecue to our deaths," I said weakly.


	4. Heroique

------------------------

------------Shikamaru------------

------------------------

There.

If I ever fall out of a job as a ninja, I can always become a picklock or, failing that, a master thief. The door swung open on silent hinges, and I bounced a rubber ball into the empty space beyond.

"Whoa boy!" As quickly as I could I ducked and rolled.

A shower of fine needles sprayed out. I waited until the bursts of flying death stopped before collecting all the weapons. Then I cautiously shone my torch into the room.

"Damn, wrong room," I swore softly and stepped into the little armory. There were tons of weapons, stored to the ceiling, and I caught sight of Temari's fan standing against the corner. Not willing to bet on Shikio being kind and benevolent, I used my shadows to wrap about the iron fan and pulled it close to me, examining it for discoloration and authenticity.

Ah, there. This was the true fan. I sighed for that little mercy: if she hadn't whacked me across the head and left that singular notch, I would never be able to identify it properly. With a nostalgic wince, I picked the fan up with a gloved hand.

She'd be getting this from me. Soon.

And then he would get it from her.

------------------------

------------Kankurou------------

------------------------

"That's a very good design, Kankurou."

I preened a little. Gaara seldom gave praise, but when he did it was always heartfelt. "Thanks, bro. Lessee what we have, shall we?"

The door slid up mechanically. The slight thumps and squeaks magnified in the cavern, rolling up and down the corridors. I grimaced.

Stealth was probably impossible now.

Gaara abruptly stood in front of me, and I heard a dozen thuds against his sand shield. He quickly formed his third eye, while I grabbed two rubber balls and tossed them over the shield into the room.

Gaara concentrated. "It's too dark."

"Flashlight?"

"Try."

I shone the light in the general direction of the room, while thuds echoed and magnified around us. The barrage soon stopped.

Gaara let down the shield. "It's another corridor."

I got up and fished out two rat puppets. "Guinea pigs then?"

------------------------

------------Temari------------

------------------------

Shikio advanced on me again. "You have no weapon to defend yourself, Temari. Why can't you just submit and let me love you?"

"Because I love someone else," I retorted. He snarled.

I could feel chakra flooding my limbs. And now as I did a mental run-through, I realized I had not been poisoned.

_His mistake to trust me._

Before I could attack, the siren wailed again. Shikio whirled around and cursed roundly, then dashed out along the other entrance to the room.

I didn't wait for him to come back. I ran out the other door.

_Where in the world should I head? Mazes... right hand on left wall, all the way._

The walls were of good bedrock, I realized. They were striated with age, and I fervently prayed the tunnels were manmade.

Then my hand found a door.

"TEMARI!!"

That was Shikio's bellow. I quickly pushed the door open and entered.

_Better death than him, _I reasoned, only to step into nothing.

With a choked scream I fell into the pit.

_Stupid reasoning._

------------------------

------------Shikamaru------------

------------------------

I heard the bellow, but in this labyrinth I couldn't locate the source. But it proved one thing: Temari was putting up a fight.

Ergo, she was alive.

"Troublesome woman," I muttered under my breath, the joy in my chest threatening to cut off my breathing. When I returned to the junction, I saw that Gaara and Kankurou had not come by this way.

"Chouji Hinata or Gaara Kankurou?"

I debated within myself fot three seconds and decided to catch up to Hinata and Chouji.

------------------------

------------Kankurou------------

------------------------

When the door slammed shut behind I felt the first prickle of foreboding. "Gaara, hold your breath. Better still, get into full defense mode. Make it airtight. Do not exit until you hear five taps or until three hours later, got it?"

He furrowed his brows, his clear turquoise eyes perplexed. "Why?"

"Do it!"

I had never raised my voice at him. He took the hint and soon all I saw was an airtight sphere of sand, encasing my brother the kazekage within the safety of the shell.

I raised my eyes. I was right: greenish gas seeped out of the roof of the corridor, slowly sinking. The rat puppets were still, because I wasn't moving.

"Green gas..." I quickly examined my knowledge of poison gases, then realized it was chlorine gas. "Not a problem then."

Summoning Karasu while being prone on the floor was an experience I did not want to repeat. The gas was being pumped in; it was diffusing far faster than it was supposed to. I detached Karasu's limbs and plugged each into a section of wall.

The green cloud was sinking to the ground. I closed my eyes and held my breath, twitching my fingers. Before the chlorine could reach me I leaped for Karasu's arm and swung myself near the ceiling. The clouds swirled with my movement, but soon sank further down. I was safe for the time being: thankfully chlorine gas was heavier than air.

I looked over at Gaara. He couldn't possibly hold the sphere airtight for long. I pulled out my gel leeches and sent them scurrying into the crevices that were issuing green gas. Sighing for the loss of excellent puppets, I plugged up the minuscule pipes and dropped on top of Gaara's sphere.

_Tap tap tap tap tap._

He was bright enough to only open a small aperture near the top. "Poison gas?"

"Chlorine. Can you try to open the door without moving? Any movement would create turbulence and the gas would be stirred up."

"Will do."

He sent a small cloud of sand drifting over the dense green layer of gas to the door we were hoping to get through. The sand filtered over the door's surface and edges.

"It's a false door, Kankurou."

"We gotta head back then."

------------------------

------------Shikamaru------------

------------------------

When I caught up to Chouji and Hinata, they were calculating the frequency of fire spurts.

"Dead end, but I got a handy amount of weapons," I answered Chouji's unspoken question. "How's this route?"

"No pattern to be discerned yet," said Hinata, her eyes flickering over the space. "If we can time our movement we'd be safer, but Shikio either set it in a random sequence or the timing is too complex."

I scrutinized the bridge. Hinata twiddled her thumbs, no longer a sign of shyness but that of consideration. "And the period of flaming is also too erratic to be deciphered."

I steadied my breath. I had the brains to work this out, I knew it.

As I studied the gauntlet of fire I realized it was not a mathematical sequence. "It's a musical sequence."

"Hey. Glad we caught up." Kankurou was breathing heavily. "Why are we stuck here?"

"I'm trying to determine which musical piece is Shikio basing the flames on," I replied, trying to silence him.

Gaara watched the flames die down, then restart. "It's probably her favorite piece of music then."

"Then it's Chopin's_ Heroique," _I sighed. "Figures. He actually took something so elegant and linked it with something so crude." I pulled Temari's fan closer to my body. "Follow me."

------------------------

------------Temari------------

------------------------

Thank goodness I didn't scream.

But it didn't make the plunge into ice-cold water any better. I could make out the light shining in from the corridor fall on the wall. Grimacing from the pain, I dog-paddled to the side just below the door.By the time the silhouette appeared in the doorway, the ripples made by my ignominious dive had smoothened out. I shrank under an overhang, fingers digging into wet rock.

"Temari?"

_Shikio must be dumb to think I'd answer him._

"Temari, I know you're in there. The water is very deep, you know. You can't paddle forever."

_I don't need to, dumbass. _Once he was gone I would be reverting to chakra and climb out of the pit.

"In fact, I think I'd like you to come up now."

_So not happening._

From the shadows I could see him fling something into the air. That something landed with a soft plop, on the other side of the water pit.

It fizzed and soon virulent purple bubbles began popping in a widening radius from the little something.

_Okay. Not good._

I didn't move. I had to force myself to stay still; that was probably one of my biggest triumphs as a shinobi. The silhouette stood at the door, observing the still water and the bubbling, watching for movement.

Then the door closed with a bang.

Yet I didn't move. My fingers were tingling with pain, and I grimaced at the ruined manicure I had taken pains to keep for the past week. But I didn't move, silently counting.

The door slammed open again when I hit number twelve. Shikio was still there. He swore under his breath and this time he dashed off, leaving the door open.

I swung my legs out of the water, trying to find purchase on the smooth rock. By now the purple bubbles were drifting too close.

Experimentally I took a hair and popped a bubble. My strand of hair sizzled and a stench of burning nylon dusted across my nose.

_All right, not good to fall in now._


	5. Drop

------------------------

------------Temari------------

------------------------

I hoisted myself up and out of the pit, my chakra straining to keep me attached to the slippery wall. Finally I scrambled out, my heart pounding.

That was too close.

I calmed myself down. If I was correct, that was part of the freshwater source Shikio had in this caves of his. Which meant that he had to abandon this part of the caves soon unless he wanted to die of thirst. I had a decent chance of escaping, I believed, since he was under the impression that I needed my weapon; I had never been seen without it.

In fact, the only person who knows my attacks in and out was Shikamaru.

Where was the slacker anyway?

I decided to choose another alley, sensing fresher air coming from it. _The skiver had better catch up soon._

------------------------

------------Shikamaru------------

------------------------

Sometimes I could just kiss my parents for the genes they gave me. Eidetic memory came into use every now and then.

"That was a little too close, Shikamaru," Kankurou complained, his hood still smoking.

I drawled, "Your head just happens to be too big, that's all."

"Where to next?" Chouji looked about him. "In fact, where to? The corridor we saw seemed to have disappeared."

Hinata was running her gaze along all four walls. "Real walls and there's something built into it – I can penetrate more than three feet into each."

Gaara stood by her, his pale eyes scanning the room. I looked around as well, and then looked up at the low ceiling. There was a small hook.

Kankurou followed my gaze. "Are we supposed to pull that?"

"I don't think that would be wise," I said. "But then, there doesn't seem to be any other clue. I'll do it."

"Wait, we should-"

"Keep to the walls with chakra, just in case the floor falls out." I reached up and grasped it. Then I gave it a good yank with my index finger.

Nothing happened.

We waited.

Still nothing happened.

I let go. "Well, there goes one option. We – yaahhh!"

The floor opened up beneath me and I raced down a dark chute, Temari's fan screeching iron-hot sparks on my back.

------------------------

------------Temari------------

------------------------

Okay.

That had been a rhetorical question, but someone out there or perhaps up there had been listening.

"Shikamaru?"

"Temari!" He got to his feet, and rubbed his back. "Thank gods you're alright!"

"Did you really think I can't handle myself?" I shot back at him.

We glared at each other for half a minute before he ran to me and embraced me. It felt right; the warmth, the strength, everything – which got my hackles rising.

I pushed him away, none too gently. "Where is it? Show me."

"Show you what?"

I tilted my head and raised an eyebrow. "Show me, Shikamaru."

He appeared to puzzle over the command for a second before breaking into an irritated grin. He tugged down the fabric over his right hip and I saw the tiny fan tattoo he had gotten the day I gave him two consecutive concussions.

"Now do you believe I'm me?" he asked, tucking his shirt in.

I smiled crookedly. "I had to see, didn't I?" Then I moved towards him and placed my hands over his hands, caressing the smooth skin on his wrists. In one fluid motion I grabbed both wrists and wrestled him to the rock-hard ground, then pressed my left knee between his shoulder blades.

"What the fuck are you doing, Temari?"

"That's my question, Shikio." The man below me stiffened; I tightened my grip. Years of lifting a heavy fan everywhere had its benefits. Swiftly I dislocated both arms from his shoulders.

Give the man his well-deserved props – he barely grunted with the pain. Instead he asked, "How did you know?"

"If I told you, that would just ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?"

I looked around me for rope, but there were none. I grimaced – even the hateful chakra-sapping rope would have been useful.

In that momentary distraction he bucked and I was tossed from his back. I landed, one knee scraping down on the ground and one hand bracing against the wall.

He returned to his usual appearance. His arms dangled uselessly by his side. Sweat was pouring off his face; the pain must be intense. He grunted twice as he popped one joint back in place using the rock wall, then his left arm braced his right shoulder into place.

I stood, wary. "Show me the exit, Shikio."

"I'm not going to answer your question, Temari. You will stay here with me forever."

"I wasn't asking." I tensed. Tiny hairs near my ears tickled my cheeks. "And forever is a long time."

He snarled, "If I can't have you, no one will!"

"Cliche much?" I scoffed and slid into combat position. My fan would come in useful, but I was a wind-wielder. What I had forgotten about air currents probably outweighed his current knowledge, and I never forget my training notes.

He stilled. "You can't escape my poisons and my traps, Temari."

"Let me try." I formed a hand seal and hissed breath from my cheeks. The thin air current issuing from my lungs circled before me, a miniature tornado. My bangs dusted my forehead and I directed it with my hands, a small invisible dart shooting out at Shikio.

He dodged the first but he didn't know about the second. The air that was flowing into the corridor sped up, hastened by yours truly. I chanted the jutsu softly, hand seals keeping in time with my exhalations.

The silver-haired ANBU traitor snapped open three vials. I was certain there were at least four more hidden in his hands – he was a poisons master and very adept at using them. He tossed them past me and I backtracked, desperately trying to keep upwind of the poisonous fumes now spilling out of the little vials.

Air currents here felt stronger. We must be near the entrance or near an exit. Rapidly calculating the odds, I bit into my already raw fingers and smeared blood onto a wall.

"If you summon Kamaitachi he'll kill us both!" shrieked Shikio. I had to concur – the place was large enough for a fight but too small for my totem animal to maneuver.

"Who said I was summoning it?" I taunted. Then, using the available air currents, I molded them into spinning drills of wind and released them at Shikio, the shrill noise of wind rubbing against air tearing into both our ears.

------------------------

------------Chouji------------

------------------------

I looked at the hole in the ground, but not for long.

Not because I looked away, but because it closed up. I glanced at Gaara, Hinata and Kankuro. Everyone seemed to have been slightly stunned by Shikamaru's sudden disappearance.

"I'll take the same route. You three might want to find another one." I reached for the hook and then did the same as Shikamaru.

Nothing happened.

I waited, patiently. I could be as patient as the dead – except when it came to food – and then some.

I waited.

"Nothing's going to happen, Chouji," said Kankurou. He looked back. The flaming corridor had stopped the intermittent bursts of flame. "Oh, look. Fire's gone out."

"Probably ran out of fuel," said Gaara, not looking.

I stamped on the spot a few times, figuring that the hollow tube should allow us to break through into the chute.

Nothing happened.

Hinata spoke up. "Were all rooms dead-ends?"

"As far as we know," I said, my eyes still on the floor.

"Then we have to find another way. You said this place was a rabbit's warren. I'm sure we can find another entrance in instead of trying to follow Shikamaru into the little chute." Kankurou's eagerness to leave the small room was getting on my nerves. I gritted my teeth. He was making sense, but not the kind of sense I wanted to hear.

Gaara said nothing, merely examined his fingers. Hinata looked at me and Gaara, clearly wanting us to be the decision-maker of the difficult choices.

I trusted Shikamaru. Completely. He would make it through. But Gaara would not say it. Kankuro had, and I didn't like it. So I had to be the one saying it.

"Let's go find another way."

No sooner had the words emerged from my mouth and my feet left the original chute spot, than did the entire floor disappear and darkness engulf us.

------------------------

------------Shikamaru------------

------------------------

I groaned and rubbed my spine.

I should never have carried this thing on my back, it could have broken my spine in two. Wincing I got to my feet.

_Where the hell am I?_

Since no one ever answered rhetorical questions I decided to go exploring. This part was lit, not brightly but adequately. I could hear running water and soon I saw an open door.

That, in itself, was very intriguing. I took out one of last few rubber balls and tossed it into the expanse beyond the open door.

Instead of hearing pings and metallic thuds or seeing, perhaps, rolls of colored clouds, I heard a singular plop, and then a vaguely disturbing hiss.

I crept closer, my hand on my flashlight. I shone its beam into the darkness, expecting to see spikes erupting from the floor or a snake-ridden floor.

I didn't even see a floor.

What I saw was no floor.

Literally.

It was a deep, watery pit, and something oily coated the surface. I couldn't find the rubber ball anywhere, and that didn't make sense. It was an air-filled construct, it should float. Unless...

Impulsively I dropped my last rubber ball in.

The plop, then, to my intense and disgusted horror, the rubber began melting into a lumpy waste.

"Okay then, not good to fall in," I mumbled under my breath.

------------------------

------------Temari------------

------------------------

In addition to his poison capsules, he also had the usual array of weaponry for shinobi.

All poisoned-tipped of course; I ensured I touched nothing. And thankfully his poison gas capsules could not hold as much as I had expected – the air drills and wind blades I was crafting by chanted jutsu drained chakra out of me faster than with my fan's assistance. If I had to keep dodging his poison gas and his conventional weapons I would need some chakra in reserve.

"Temari, I don't want to hurt you," Shikio was saying.

"That makes two of us then. I don't want you to hurt me either." What I would give for a decent fan-shaped item about me.

I was drenched, the clothes stuck to me, I had no weapon and I was facing off my stalker with half-empty chakra reserves and an increasingly hungry stomach.

I love being me sometimes.

Shikio flung another shuriken and I sidestepped, only to put myself in the line of a second one and, if I tried to avoid that I would be hit by a third.

_Shit._ I ducked so that the shuriken would only glance off my forehead protector, shearing off some of my longer hairs. He bristles and reached for more, while I called up another eight miniature wind blades at my fingertips and fired them off, arrow-straight at him, all at different heights.

Then I felt my head begin to swim and my internal organs burn – too familiarly.

_Damn. Chakra overuse._


	6. Not Soon Enough

------------------------

------------Shikamaru------------

------------------------

Blood on the wall. I ran on, my trench knives already ready for action, barely slowing to study the four red smears. It was just blood on a wall.

In ordinary times I'd say something sarcastic like, "That would be a good title for a murder-mystery" or something lame like that, but now I was in a definite foul temper.

I had dropped the items she made me purchase at some famous blacksmith into the water pit, and I couldn't retrieve them because some fucked-up idiot had turned the pit into an ACID BATH.

I swore imaginatively under my breath. Temari would be furious; I could imagine her reaction to hearing how the bloody stupid booby trap swallowed the knickknacks.

And the blood on the wall confirmed my suspicions: she was alright, and she was battling for her life.

I was now in a quandary: do I run to her to assist in the battle, or do I run away so she wouldn't beat my ass up?

Rhetorical questions, of course.

I just hoped she would be less violent than usual when delivering her punches to my head.

------------------------

------------Chouji------------

------------------------

"Is everyone alright?" I asked, vaguely cognizant that I had punch my right arm straight into the wall to keep myself from falling further. A glance downwards scared the bejesus out of me, and it took a lot to scare a shinobi active since thirteen.

Away to my left I heard a soft moan. "Gaara?"

"Hinata?" That was Gaara's voice. Three of us accounted for. Where was Kankurou?

Gaara called out, "Kankurou?"

No response. I tucked my knee in and pushed my foot against the wall, the chakra-climbing practices now second nature. Looking around I saw Gaara cradling Hinata, who appeared to have hit her head against a protrusion on the way down. The kazekage was not looking at me, but his pale eyes were scanning the surrounds. I strode over, resisting the urge to succumb to gravity. "How is she?"

"No bleeding, but probably concussed." Gaara extended the sand-platform and I walked onto it. "I can't sense Kankurou anywhere."

"Perhaps he's somewhere above?" I suggested, not wanting to look down again.

Gaara glanced at me, knowing what I was trying to avoid mentioning. But nonetheless the platform sank slowly down the shaft.

And too soon we had landed gingerly among the three-meter tall spikes with reverse barbs, all glinting pinkly in the weak light from my flashlight.

"Poisoned," I said. Gaara gave me an 'I-know-that' look. Hinata had really gotten him to open up, and I was glad they had found each other. Yet somehow I still felt sorry for Shino, because I knew he truly was devoted to the Hyuuga heir, even until now.

Gaara's words broke into my reverie. "He's not here."

I bit my lower lip and considered the options.

------------------------

------------Shikamaru------------

------------------------

I saw them.

Temari was gasping for breath, her face pale, her eyes wide. She was sweating rivers – chakra overuse.

I stopped myself from darting forward. Holding myself back was one of the hardest things I had ever done, because right now the cowardly bastard was bent over my soon-to-be-wife.

He had a vial in his hand, and was attempting to cradle Temari's head and feed her the concoction.

Feebly she batted his hand away, but he merely retrieved the capped vial.

"It's for your own good," he said. He was far more patient with Temari than I could or would ever be. "Your chakra levels will be severely damaged if you don't drink this now."

"Shut up," she said shoving weakly against his hand. I gripped my trench knives tighter.

Shikio suddenly drove the back of her head against the ground. "I'M TRYING TO SAVE YOU, BITCH!!"

Before I could register the fact that I had sprinted forward, trench knives glittering blackly, he was already backhanding me against the wall.

Temari grimaced and shook her head, her smile groggy. "Finally made it, lazy."

"Don't move, Temari," I said. I flung out an arm to block a punch, then returned a high kick and skidded to a spot beside my fiancée. "You alright?"

"Show me," she muttered.

"Not now." I knocked a shuriken out of the way and scooped her up with my left arm. "We'll talk about this later."

"Is that my fan?" she asked, her voice slurring. I felt my ire rise at Shikio but forced myself to reply calmly, "Yep. That'll teach you to leave things around for me to find."

"As long as you can find me," she whispered, now struggling to stand on her own. I stood before her, willing Shikio to attack again. She leaned against the wall, her fan now her support. "Kick his ass, will ya?"

The silver-haired ANBU was just watching us.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Nara Shikamaru," he addressed me directly, his hands before him. "Why did you come?"

"Because she is my wife," I said, my gaze as steady as the grip on my weapons. "And you should have stayed away, Saito Takeaki."

He wasn't surprised that I knew his real name. After all, Gaara had access to all the records as Kazekage. "I prefer the name Shikio."

"I prefer to call you asshole." My arms were relaxed even as I made sure to obstruct as much of his view of Temari as I could. She grunted a soft complaint and I hid my smile, knowing she hated to appear weak. I focused my attention on the now-tensing ANBU before me. "So, asshole, ready?"

------------------------

------------Temari------------

------------------------

I felt like weeping, I was so relieved.

It was definitely the lack of food, I told myself. The beautiful sight of my dark-haired lazy genius emerging from the shadows was one I would secretly treasure for the rest of my life.

He had rough scratches on his face and limbs, and his uniform was ripped and muddy, and his hair was singed on the ends, and he had his patented pissed-off game face on.

I thought it was the sexiest look he had ever put on before me, up to and including the black suit he wore when he proposed.

When he stood in front of me I understood that he was trying to shield me. If I were myself I'd have shoved him aside to take point, but right now I just wanted to try playing the damsel-in-distress. But there was something he needed to know.

"_He has a dozen gas capsules left._"

Shikamaru didn't acknowledge my hissed hint, but I moved back out of range of Shikio's attacks. The fan – my battle fan – was in my hands again, and now I could try ensuring a safe and steady draft to keep gas capsules from gaining any advantage.

------------------------

------------Shikamaru------------

------------------------

I felt the stiff breeze rise from behind me and rapidly recalculated the shots.

Shikio didn't bother waiting – dozens of shuriken were flung, covering almost every possible trajectory. There was no way I could nail all of them down. I had to do something daring – and I knew Temari would be upset about it.

I ducked.

I heard her curse. "Crap!"

------------------------

------------Temari------------

------------------------

I swore as he ducked and then whipped up an instant hurricane before any of the weapons could hurt either of us.

"Slacker!" I screamed above the roar of the air currents in the tunnels. Bits of rock cut past me and the pineapple-haired idiot actually dared a slow smirk at me. The shuriken Shikio had released bounced off behind him, all thrown off course.

Shikamaru didn't move, but I knew what he meant for me to do. I snarled silently, "Chakra overuse, remember?"

"With the fan you don't need much more than one percent anyway," he mouthed. His eyes darted to the figure now grasping two fistfuls of needles. Shikamaru reached for his belt. That was what tipped me off to the next ploy.

Grimacing with the effort, I opened my fan fully and swung it round, stilling the wind.

------------------------

------------Kankurou------------

------------------------

I tried to move, but soon flopped back on the ground. It was too difficult: the pointed metal rod had speared right through my thigh. The only bright spot I could see was that the rod had missed my major blood vessels.

I couldn't hear the others. Were they safe? I craned my neck to view as much of my environs as I could, but found the stabbing pain insistently calling for my attention. Then I saw the flicker of firelight in a hole in the far wall.

I tried to reach for the scroll where I kept my puppets, but found it difficult to access them.

"Brilliant, Kan. Simply brilliant," I sucked in breath to keep myself from whimpering. What would my kids say if they saw daddy in this conundrum?

I inhaled, exhaled, then almost gagged with the sudden flare of agony. "Pain... pain is good," I muttered, desperately trying to focus my gaze. Blacking out was not an option. "Pain means... I'm still a-alive. Fuck it... fuck."

Every breath I took was causing my entire body to spasm, inflicting thus more pain on myself. But for a flesh wound I was sure reacting badly...

"Fuck," I cursed again, the darkness sinking around me now. "Bloody pinhead must've poiso..."

------------------------

------------Chouji------------

------------------------

I saw Gaara's brows tighten.

Not a good sign. He was very poised and supremely assured of his abilities – much like Shikamaru, but without my best friend's lazy charm.

At that moment Hinata's eyes fluttered open. "Thanks, dear," she murmured, and I felt my cheeks flush from the affection she put into a simple statement. Gaara merely stroked her dark hair in reply.

I coughed politely. The twinge in my chest was definitely jealousy, but I had kept it hidden for years while my friends paired off around me. I was happy for them. I was happy for all of them, even...

_Not going there, Chou. Not gonna start the whole self-pity cycle again._

"I think I see firelight over there," I said, indicating a small cave just above us. "Maybe we should check it out."

"We should." Gaara floated us higher, and then we clambered onto solid ground, me helping Hinata. She thanked me politely, then glanced about her.

"Where's Kankurou?" she asked, perplexed.

Gaara stepped off his platform, and the sand reformed into his gourd. "That's a question we've been asking. But Temari is still our primary concern."

"He's your brother, Gaara," Hinata chided softly. I deliberately walked back to the mouth of the cave, so I couldn't catch their exchange in the background.

Then I saw the painted face down in the darkness.

------------------------

------------Shikamaru------------

------------------------

After Temari reined in the wind I grabbed Shikio's shadow.

"I love caverns. 'The Long Dark', my dad called it. And the sort of shinobi clan I come from?"

I tightened the choke on his neck, his fingers scrabbling vainly to break the insubstantial stranglehold. I snarled, "How did you ever make ANBU with that brain of yours?"

"Nara, just kill him already." My bride-to-be was speaking from the floor. She was so exhausted. "I mean, gloating is the in the job description of the evil villain, not the hero's."

_Hero_? I suppressed a smirk with extreme difficulty. "Really."

"Shut up." Even her tone was embarrassed.

Although I really wanted to give in to her demand, Shikio had the right to be executed by his own kage. Gaara reserved the right to take his life, not me.

I let go of his neck.

His arms tried to move into battle position but I still had him in Shadow Bind. In desperation, Shikio suddenly let out a howl that rumbled down the tunnels. The howl reverberated and amplified...and the walls began to shake.

"Damn!" I dove over Temari, who had the presence of mind to roll into a fetal position. I wrapped my neck and head with my arms even as rock dust and tiny stones began littering down from the ceiling.

Temari's mouth was inches from my face. "Lion's Roar!"

"The bastard had this planned out all along!" I yelled back, aware that soon both of us would be buried under solid rock along with the madman. "I didn't think he'd go this far!"

"It's alright, Nara!" she screamed, the din of his chakra-enhanced roar almost covering her voice. "I forgive you for being stupid just this once!"

Larger blocks started to fall around us. I winced as a chunk hit my shoulder and it began bleeding. "And I lost the rings in his acid-bath too!"

"What?!" She dodged a fist-sized rock that landed beside her head.

"I said-"

"I heard what you said, you skiving, inconsiderate, unpunctual, self-absorbed individual-" she coughed as something crashed into our hips, and we rolled out of its way as best as we could. Then another chunk smashed into my ankle and I held back a shout.

"We're gonna die and that's what you want to say to me?!" I was aghast, but also amused. The pain was stunningly sharp.

She glared, the special death-ray glare that I'd come to know and love, then she began to cry.

"It's the -"

"It's the rock dust!" I gave her her excuse and then, unable to restrain my emotions, kissed her. Moving my lips against her skin, I wanted to murmur the three words I was supposed to say only at the wedding. She shook her head. Her eyes were red with both irritation and love. I closed mine.

The howl rose to fever pitch and I could literally feel the humming behind my eardrums. The inside of my skull swam.

Then, Temari pressed her lips against mine and I stopped caring, instead wrapping her in my arms and tucking her under my body so that the last thing she would feel was me.


	7. Too Late

------------------------

------------Chouji------------

------------------------

Kankuro was nearing death when we floated down to where he was sprawled. Gaara bent over him, trying to get Kankuro to respond, but all he could garner was his brother's even, shallow breathing.

"He's used to poison, so I think we may have some ti- what was that?"

"What's what?" I asked.

Suddenly I realized that it was too quiet. Barring the sound of our breathing it was completely devoid of noise. Then, I felt the rumble and pure chill enveloped my stomach. And when you consider that I have an ample stomach, you can see how bad it really was.

"Hinata, tell me you can see what's going on," I said quietly. This was no premonition; Shikamaru was in grave danger. Emphasis on grave.

She was already scanning, trying to ignore the increasingly loud roar. She gasped and grabbed Gaara's arm. "They're gonna be buried alive!"

Gaara whirled around, putting the issue of his brother's life aside for now. Grabbing both of us we shot up to the small entrance where we had landed earlier and, before he could reassemble his and, the three of us were sprinting towards the source, Hinata leading the way.

------------------------

------------Temari------------

------------------------

I cried aloud when I saw him fail to dodge a chunk and it hit his head. Shikamaru's head slumped forward, but his elbows were locked and his body was still braced to shelter me from the rockfall.

"Don't worry, woman, I won't let him crush you."

_Oh my god, he's still alive!_

I wanted to scream at him, to hammer on his chest, to grab his head down so I could kiss him properly... "You're still holding him, aren't you?" I demanded.

He smirked, the blood dripping from his temple to my cheek. "Can't... can't let him get out of – ouf!"

He jerked forward, then struggled to return to his original position.

I couldn't wield my fan. I couldn't try wind jutsu. I had no chakra. I had nothing except this young man whom I loved, who was going to die because of me, because of some stupid jerk.

"Get.. get out from here," he bit off, his dark eyes burning into mine. I protested, but he snarled, "Stop being troublesome, woman! Get out while I can still hold him!"

I sensed another chunk of rock hammering into him from above. He spurted blood, spraying my face with his coppery scent. "Get out!"

------------------------

------------Chouji------------

------------------------

Hinata stopped suddenly. "Here!"

I made to punch straight through the wall, but Gaara stepped in front of me and planted his hands against the wall.

I asked Hinata in an undertone. "What is he doing?"

She shushed me. Gaara's eyes had closed in concentration.

I jiggled on my feet, trying not to hurry Gaara.

_He knows what he's doing._

------------------------

------------Shikamaru------------

------------------------

I stared in disbelief at Temari.

"Why aren't you going?" I managed to snap, the pain in my back shooting daggers up my spine and down my legs. My knees were shaking not to give way; my inner chakra system was starting to burn.

I really had no energy to argue now, but I desperately wanted her to leave so she could live.

"Temari..." I hissed out. She shook her head again defiantly.

Then I looked into her eyes and I was defeated.

They were misted, but undimmed; brilliant like the stars she loved, clouded by determination to perish with me.

I held back another grunt as something grazed my ribs, but I stubbornly held on to the jutsu. Shikio was on his hands and knees too, but his chakra reserves seemed to be larger than mine.

Perhaps he would survive.

Perhaps he would harm the others.

But I knew one thing for sure: he would never get to Temari again.

------------------------

------------Chouji------------

------------------------

Whatever Gaara was doing it was working.

The rumbling was softer; rock dust no longer coated our shoulders. Hinata then nodded to me.

I readied myself.

"The vibrations are neutralized," Gaara said heavily. He then pulled away and fell backwards into Hinata's arms. I punched through the wall and barraged through it.

_Hang on buddy. We're reaching you soon._

------------------------

------------Temari------------

_------------------------_

The rocks stopped falling; there was no vibration beneath the ground and, I assumed, in the walls.

Shikamaru had already fallen forward, his elbows and knees still keeping him in position, and before he blacked out he had used his trench knife to pin Shikio to the spot.

I hugged his head, trying not to panic as I scrambled out of his shelter.

"Damn your pride, Nara," I swore under my breath, and scooped up my fan. I advanced on Shikio, still sprawled on the ground, a pitiful excuse of an imitation of Nara Shikamaru. "And you, Shikio, is a dead man lyi-"

An outward explosion of rock forced me to fling my hands up to cover my eyes – and it dislodged the trench knife.

Shikio jumped up and released a last shower of dart. I flipped my fan opened and blocked most of it from my fiancé, and then blinked to clear my vision.

"Shit, Chouji, I almost had him," I complained. Then I felt something burning up my shin. I glanced down and fell on my behind in an undignified heap. Three darts were embedded in my leg.

Chouji inhaled sharply when he saw Shikamaru lying unconscious, blood from his wound already caked in an ugly mass about his head.

I turned to see Gaara and Hinata emerging from the hole in the wall. "Hey, Gaara," I said. I marveled that I could maintain my composure. "I'm surprised Kankuro isn't here."

"He's... he's quite seriously injured, Temari," Hinata answered the unspoken query. I froze: my husband-to-be and my brother, both severely hurt because of Shikio?

"I will handle him, Temari. Just stop moving." Gaara's tone held a note of urgency.

I snorted. "The poison isn't that venomous, Gaara. He wanted me unconscious, not dead."

Hinata suddenly swiveled around and Gaara's sand formed a quick shield around us. I heard faint thuds landing into the sand.

Chouji was tending to Shikamaru's injuries. There was that head wound, and a broken ankle, and possibly numerous other impact injuries.

Hinata told Gaara to make an opening for her to exit while he watched over the rest of us.

"Be careful, Hinata," he murmured when he placed his hand on the shield.

She nodded. "I will."

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A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but I couldn't continue until I know what Hinata has planned and why I couldn't end earlier.

Will update ASAP.

Thanks for reading!


	8. Drop Dead Gorgeous

------------------------

------------Temari------------

_------------------------_

"Hinata, take me with you," I said as I stood up. The pain shot through my leg, but I shut it away.

Shikio was going to pay.

She wanted to insist on my staying with Gaara, but saw the look in my eyes. "Temari-san..."

"Shut up."

I walked as upright as I could out the small exit. Shikio was somewhere in the shadows.

I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. "Here I am, Shikio. No more running, no more hiding."

He sidled out from a jutting wall. He looked battered too; he wasn't immune to falling rocks any more than Nara was.

We merely stared at each other for a long time.

"She's waiting, isn't she?" Shiki nodded at Hinata who was standing not too far from me.

I shrugged. "You killed her team."

"They were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Like your brain?"

His face twitched. "What about you? You can barely stand. And I know you're probably numb all along one side by now."

I shrugged again, my left shoulder not as responsive as my right. He noticed. "Your left side's anesthetized."

"I'll live," I slurred. I shook my head to clear it again. Then I tossed my hopelessly tangled and grimy hair back. "You won't."

Shikio was smart; he didn't move forward. My left knee buckled for a split-second; I forced myself into a standing position again. Hinata slid half a step forward.

"Hinata."

She caught my warning undertone, but did not back down. "You're hurt. And I have due responsibility to capture or kill Shikio, ex-ANBU."

He did not smile, did not smirk, merely hefted a kunai in one fist. My eyebrow twitched. Perhaps this would be a good chance to set things in motion.

------------------------

------------Kankuro------------

_------------------------_

I stirred back into life.

Perhaps.

My leg no longer felt anything – and I swallowed the upsurge of fear.

No pain, no itch, no burning... this was the worst kind of poison.

I looked about and blurrily glimpsed footprints in the sand about me. My head thumped back against the ground, feeling incredibly cold.

_Wait. Sand?_

------------------------

------------Chouji------------

------------------------

"Chouji."

I looked to my right. Gaara was standing, a faraway look in his eyes. The shield was still in place around me and Shikamaru.

"What is it, Gaara?"

"I have to go." He swung his gourd about, but paused. "You can hold out here?"

I nodded firmly.

Before he returned down the passageway, he paused. Before he opened his mouth, I nodded again. "Go. I'll watch over them all."

He gave the ghost of a mile before sprinting towards his brother.

The shield fell. I took position just in front of Shikamaru.

Temari half-turned when the shield fell. There was a slight frown on her face.

She looked terrible: a bruise was purpling under one eye, and she had gashes all along one side. Her boots were ripped and torn, her knees were scraped, and there was blood spattered all over her.

_Shikamaru's blood, I suppose._

"Help me," she mouthed silently.

------------------------

------------Temari------------

_------------------------_

Shikio feinted to the left, and met with a fist on his shoulder. He grunted in pain, then slashed upward.

I picked up the forgotten trench knife. If he lost it in the rubble, he would take the entire ridge into pieces just to retrieve it.

Wincing and breathing evenly, I watched the battle unfold.

Hinata was extraordinarily nimble. In the narrow corridor she danced as if it were a football field, her long hair a halo and her byakugan assisting her in dodging any airborne weapon. Twice Shikio almost got in range of her Gentle Fist, but he forcibly twisted himself away.

Hinata was relentless: Again and again she advanced, until he finally was cornered and had to counter her attack directly.

I had never underestimated Hinata, but her Sixty-four Trigrams Palm Technique was something else altogether.

Within two minutes she had landed all sixty four blows on Shikio, and from observation of previous recipients I knew it was a matter of time before Shikio's internal organs shut down due to trauma.

She might look gentle, but Hinata was still a kunoichi and the Deputy Head of ANBU. I wouldn't want her to be my enemy.

"Wait, Hinata," I said. I didn't want her to have the satisfaction of killing Shikio. "He's mine to kill.

Shikio narrowed his eyes. "I'm not."

I began to chuckle. "If Nara was awake he'd roll his eyes and call you a moronic asshole." I turned more somber. "You've hurt my fiancé. You've almost killed my brother. You killed some of our top shinobi. And now..."

Using what strength I had I walked to him, dragging my left foot. "You'll have to kill me, if you don't want to die."

He moved forward as well, reluctantly.

I hiccuped with pain.

He shook as he was pulled forward to within my arm's reach.

"That's not possible. You can't have- how can you? You're not a Nara!"

"In half a day's time I will be," I said. "You really think I was engaged to the most intelligent shinobi in the world and not learn his techniques?"

Hinata frowned, then saw a shadow linked with Shikio's. "Shadow bind."

"Thank Chouji for me later. He gave me a chakra pill." I gripped the trench knife in my hand. "Night, dearie. Thanks for the memories."

------------------------

------------Chouji------------

_------------------------_

Temari looked like an avenging angel as she gave Shikio a terrible, glittering smile.

I moved in front of the unconscious Shikamaru; I was certain he wouldn't want to see this.

"Chouji," I heard a weak voice utter. "Get out of my line of sight."

I swerved round.

Shikamaru was awake, and had his hands steadied against his chest to hold the jutsu in place.

He barely opened his eyes, but I fished about for a chakra pill anyway and stuffed it in his mouth. He swallowed it dry and muttered, "You might want to look away. There's gonna be spray."

"Spray?"

------------------------

------------Temari------------

------------------------

I brought the trench knife about in one long horizontal arc.

He knew what was coming and merely mouthed the words, which I pretended not to understand.

------------------------

------------Shikamaru------------

------------------------

I saw Hinata wince but she did not look away, even when Shikio's arterial blood sprayed onto the wall beside her and spattered on her hair.

Her calm acceptance of Shikio's execution was something I never thought I'd see on her face.

But when Temari turned to me, I read furious sorrow and unabated relief in her eyes.

------------------------

------------Kankuro------------

------------------------

My eyes fluttered open again; I felt warmer.

And then I saw Gaara standing over me, his eyes pools of shadow. He had removed my leg from the spike, and was tending to my wound.

"Hey lil' bro." I breathed out.

He acknowledged my quip seriously. "You'll live."

"That's... good to... know." I exhaled and inhaled shakily. "Did we...?"

"We did."

I sighed. Last week, all I had wanted was a stripper at his bachelor party and perhaps fifteen kegs of beer to drown him in.

Now I just wanted to see Tomoe and the kids.


	9. Beginnings

------------------------

------------Kankuro------------

------------------------

I don't know which emotion I was feeling more: amusement at my sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law's argument, or annoyance at their not noticing my near-death experience.

"_You_ lost the rings, you bloody slacker!"

"I didn't lose them, they fell into that acid bath _your _stalker set up!"

"You dropped them in when you bent over to look at the pit! How stupid can you get?"

"Woman, I was trying to see if you were there!"

"Don't pin this... this idiocy on me, Nara Shikamaru! How could you just leave it unsecured in your pocket?"

They stood nose to nose, glaring daggers at each other.

"Um," I raised a finger weakly, "if it's not too much trouble... could we please... get me to a medic before I pass out again?"

Gaara was at my side in a second, the sand platform a gentle bed. I let my head fall back, silently thanking the tendency for Gaara's sand to soak up blood – with my blood loss the poisons had not had time to diffuse into my cells before much of it was absorbed by the quartz grains my brother carried.

It all made sense. Sort of.

My head swam before I drifted into sleep.

------------------------

------------Shikamaru------------

------------------------

I leaned on Chouji as we made our slow way out of the labyrinth of caves. Gaara had gone on ahead; Kankuro's injury was more serious than he'd care to share with us, but Hinata knew that look and had insisted on Gaara leaving us behind.

Temari was walking with Hinata's help. She was looking at me, but the second she saw me looking at her looking at me she twisted her head away.

I smirked.

Chouji nudged my ribs. "Did you really lose the rings?" he asked under his breath.

:I nodded. "Didn't mean to."

He merely sighed and patted my back a little too firmly.

"Ow-ow ow... Chouji, I'm still rather fragile?" I complained. "At least it's over."

"I wouldn't say that," Chouji whispered as he stole a glance at Temari and Hinata. "She looks ready to kill."

------------------------

------------Temari------------

------------------------

"I'm gonna kill him," I said. I was still limping; the anesthesia was not wearing off fast enough.

Hinata tried to calm me down. "We can always get another set of rings, Temari. Better ones-"

"Those were the rings promised us by Tetsuo! And you know how picky he is about making jewelry!" I protested. "That Nara idiot lost them because they slipped out of his pocket! Tell me what Tetsuo would say."

Hinata could only smile apologetically. "Guess it's really rather... upsetting."

"Upsetting? If I were any more upset I'd be... I'd have married Shikio!" I fumed. Then I thought about it. "No, I'm not that upset yet. But still."

"Maybe you'll like to speak with Shikamaru later after you've calmed down a bit?"

I harumphed and looked at the Nara's spiky hair bobbing ahead. He was still not ready to move about; the injuries he sustained were mostly internal ones, what with rocks crashing into his torso and chakra overuse; and a number of scrapes, burns, cuts and bruises from the traps he'd refused to detail to me.

When he stumbled I almost darted forward but remembered I was currently angry with him, and I looked at my own feet.

Stupid, stupid Nara.

------------------------

------------Shikamaru------------

------------------------

When we finally made it out to the clear air I wanted to just fall down and sleep. But since we were seventy feet from the ground I desisted from that particular impulse.

"You alright, Nara?" Temari asked softly. With Hinata supporting her I wasn't worried... well, not that worried.

I nodded. "Chouji will take care of me. He wants to make sure he gets the chance to model his tailored tuxedo."

"Shut up," Chouji said with a short bark of laughter.

I held my breath as he jumped, me on his back. He landed without even jarring my poor battered body, and I thanked him.

He merely shrugged. "Hinata thinks we should set up camp here for tonight."

"Oh come on," I said, "it's supposed to be the wedding today. If we keep delaying this-"

"You really want your bride to appear with a black eye and multiple cuts?"

I exhaled heavily. In truth I hadn't really noticed; she was just... Temari was just Temari, whatever she looked like.

------------------------

------------Temari------------

------------------------

I pursed my lips and tried my best to look stern. "We're going back so Nara and I can get married today, Hinata."

"You look terrible, and he looks like he's been through the wringer and back. Stay." Hinata being fierce was as unsettling as a rabid bunny.

When I tried to get up she pinned me with a glare. "Stay."

"Yes, ma'am." I threw my head back and looked up. Already it was evening; the pink and orange sky was so brilliant, I had to smile. Sometimes nature was just too tacky

The smile faded when I remembered I had blood on my face and on my hands. No matter how hard I washed them the blood would always be there.

The life of a shinobi...

------------------------

------------Shikamaru------------

------------------------

"Hey."

"Hey."

She was staring at the darkening sky. I settled beside her, then offered my uninjured arm. She lifted her head without my prompting and then snuggled into the crook of my neck and shoulder.

After a long moment, while the sky turned amber and then blue-black, and stars started winking at us from the vaults of heaven, I asked, "Do you feel guilty about it all?"

"No." Her answer was firm and a little sad. "He knew from the onset I had you. He just wanted something that wasn't his."

"I don't blame him," I murmured. "You do send out strong currents of desirability."

"So you blame me?"

"I never said that. I meant that he caught a stray bolt of your attractiveness – and didn't know how to deal with it properly."

She fell silent. I closed my eyes, glad that she was here beside me again.

------------------------

------------Temari------------

------------------------

I listened to his even breathing.

I could smell the dinner Chouji was cooking; I could hear their soft chatter; I could see the play of firelight and shadows over us.

But I listened to his even breathing.

"Nara," I said quietly. Perhaps he'd fallen asleep...

"Hmm?" He blinked. "What is it?"

I tilted my head to press my lips to his chin. "Will you, Nara Shikamaru, take me to be your wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, till death do we part?"

"I do. Even if it's too troublesome." He turned his head slightly so he could gaze sleepily into my eyes. "Will you, Sabaku no Temari, take me to be your husband, to obey and to honor, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, till death do we part?"

I wrinkled my nose. "I have to obey?"

"Mm-hmm. Most of the time anyway."

"Well, in that case..." I kissed his chin again, "I do. As much as you do."

He bent to kiss my lips. "I do. With all my heart."

"With all my heart, then, too."

------------------------

------------Chouji------------

------------------------

I sat on the rock with a bowl. Hinata sat beside me, her cheeks pink with embarrassment and happiness.

I scooped up a potato. "It's like we don't exist."

"You're right," she said, then smiled. "But they're finally married. I guess it's a happy ending."

"Happy beginning, I hope." With a sigh I chewed on a carrot chunk. Kankuro would be mad he had to miss this, I chuckled inwardly. But it was worth all the trouble to see my best friend finally settling down with a – well, he would call her troublesome – woman who could keep up with him mentally and physically, and occasionally trounce him.

Now for Ino to get herself married off...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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A/N: That's the end of the story! Fluffy ending because I love them both so, so much... Review please :)


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